The present invention is directed to a sorber for an electro-desorption compressor. More particularly, the invention is directed to a sorber which comprises a number of support spars to bolster the mechanical strength of the sorber.
In existing electro-desorption compression systems, a first, typically gaseous substance called a sorbate is alternately adsorbed onto and desorbed from a second, typically solid substance called a sorbent. During the adsorption reaction, the sorbate is drawn onto and combines with the sorbent to form a sorbate/sorbent compound. During the desorption reaction, energy in the form of an electrical current is conducted to the sorbate/sorbent compound to break the bonds between the sorbate and sorbent molecules and thereby desorb the sorbate from the sorbent. In this reaction, the sorbate is driven off of the sorbent and into a relatively high pressure, high energy state.
The adsorption and desorption reactions take place in a reactor vessel which will be referred to herein as a sorber. In addition to forming an enclosure for the sorbent, the sorber facilitates the transfer of electrical energy to the sorbate/sorbent compound during the desorption reactions. In order to facilitate the transfer of electrical energy to the sorbate/sorbent compound, the sorber usually includes a pair of spaced-apart electrical conductors between which the sorbent is positioned. Thus, during the desorption reaction, an electrical current  from a power supply is conveyed to the conductors and through the sorbate/sorbent compound to desorb the sorbate from the sorbent.
The rate of each adsorption reaction is related to the temperature of the sorbent. Thus, the lower the temperature of the sorbent, the quicker the sorbate will be adsorbed. However, during each adsorption reaction the kinetic energy of the sorbate molecules is converted to heat as the sorbate molecules combine with the sorbent molecules. This heat, which is often called the heat of adsorption, is conducted to the sorbent and can raise the temperature of the sorbent by a significant amount. The heat of adsorption should therefore be removed from the sorbent prior to each subsequent adsorption reaction to minimize the adsorption reaction rate and thereby improve the efficiency of the sorption compression system.
Thus, the sorber should function not only to communicate the electrical current to the sorbent during the desorption reaction, but also to remove the heat of adsorption to the outside environment. Consequently, the sorber should ideally made from a material having a high thermal conductivity, such as an aluminum alloy. However, metals which are good thermal conductors tend to have relatively low mechanical strengths. In one prior art sorber design, the electrical conductors comprise a pair of relatively flat plates which are secured together at their periphery, and the sorbent is in the form of a thin, flat monolith which is positioned between the conductor plates. Thus, in order to withstand the pressures which are generated during the desorption reaction, which can approach 250 psi with some sorbent and sorbate materials, the conductor plates  would have to be made exceedingly thick. Moreover, the thicker the conductor plates, the longer the time required to dissipate the heat of adsorption to the outside environment.